GRi Newsreel Ghana 09
- 05 - 2001
Kufuor makes appointments at several institutions
Former President Rawlings denies statement, leaves
for US
Protective Bodyguards for VIPs complete training
Ghana, US in another joint military cooperation
Aflao Council of Chiefs unhappy about diversion
road
Edina kingmakers warn of trouble if Omanhene
presides over 'Bakatue'
Theft of ECG meters on the increase in the Ketu
District
Stop abusing the ethics of journalism- Kojo Yankah
Check abuses in collection of market tolls - New
MCE told
President to review appointment of Wa DCE
Kufuor makes appointments at
several institutions
Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2001,
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday made appointments of
Chief Executives of several institutions pending the constituting of their
governing boards.
The institutions are the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service
(CEPS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), VAT Service, Department of National
Lotteries (DNL), National Tax Audit Bureau and Divestiture Implementation
Committee (DIC)
A statement signed by Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Government
Spokesperson, named
Mr Kofi Opoku Ntiamoah as the new Commissioner of CEPS. He is a
retired Assistant Commissioner of CEPS who worked for the service for 34 years.
It also appointed Lt. Col. (rtd) Ben K. Appia Asante as Deputy
Commissioner of
CEPS (Special Duties) and Lt. Col. Samuel Anane Ashiagbor,
Deputy Commissioner
(Special Duties).
Lt. Col. Asante was for nine years with the Ghana Armed Forces
Staff College where he was part of the Directorate Staff (Senior Division).
He became the Commanding Officer of the College and then GSO1
Co-ordinating Staff College.
Between 1998/99 he was with the UN Observer Force in Kuwait as
Deputy Chief Operations Officer. He joined the UN Training Assistance team with
UNAMSIL between 1999 and 2000.
Lt. Col. Ashiagbor is with the Military Academy and Training
School. He has had considerable experience as officer commanding various border
guard posts. He has been a Deputy Commandant on United Nations Duties in
Lebanon as well as Officer Commanding the UN Force in Cambodia.
The new IRS Commissioner is Mrs Janet Opoku-Akyeampong. She
joined the
Central Revenue Department in 1968 as the first woman graduate
and has worked
there for 33 years.
Mr J.K. Odartey Blankson is the new Chief Executive of the VAT
Service.
He is currently the Financial Accounting Manager at Nestle Ghana
Limited. He is
a chartered accountant and has been the Finance Director of the
Ghana Oil Palm
Development Company Ltd. He was also the Director of Finance and
Administration
at the Forestry Department.
Mr Emmanuel Kermah is the new Chief Executive of the Department of
National Lotteries. He is an Assistant Commissioner at CEPS and has worked
there in various capacities since 1980. He was in charge of three regions.
The statement said the President has appointed Mr D.T. Acquaye
as the deputy Commissioner, Special Duties of the National Tax Audit Bureau. He
is a chartered accountant and has worked with the IRS for 14 years. He is the
Deputy Commissioner, Finance and Administration of IRS.
The President appointed Mr Benson Poku-Adjei as Executive
Secretary of the Divestiture Implementation Committee.
He is currently the Acting Executive Secretary of the Committee.
He has been a financial analyst at DIC since 1989. He has previously worked as
an auditor at a firm of chartered accountants and auditors.
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Former President Rawlings
denies statement, leaves for US
Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2001
Former President Jerry John Rawlings on Monday denied ever
saying that he does not believe in democracy but what he actually said was that
he does not believe in multi-party system in a developing country.
" If I did not believe in democracy then how come we were
voted out of power and I accepted it", he said.
Former President Rawlings was answering questions on various
issues in an interview with newsmen at the airport before his departure to the
US to receive an award.
The Ex-president said at the appropriate time, he would explain
his stand and views on multi-party system to Ghanaians.
The former leader called on Ghanaians to bear with the New
Patriotic Party (NPP) government and give it the necessary support, but advised
the new government to be honest and not use the National Democratic Congress
(NDC) as an excuse for the difficulties they are facing.
"Things are going to be tough and promises they made would
not be easily attained and would need your full support".
Flt. Lt. Rawlings said he would do all he could to support the
government but cautioned that Ghanaians must always be told the truth.
He said the stability of the country depends on Ghanaians and
not him and urged every Ghanaian to ensure that it is sustained.
The Press, Former President Rawlings said, was nursed and
matured during the NDC era, and should play the role expected of them in
freedom, adding, "to us in Ghana, democracy is a learning process and we
can't afford not to succeed".
On his last visit to the U.S, where officials from Ghana's High
Commission did not meet him, Former President Rawlings explained that it was
due to lack of communication and was not intentional.
He said the High Commissioner later apologised for the lapse and
he was accorded the necessary protocol.
Earlier, Professor Danso Boafo, former Minister of Health
outlined the itinerary for the Former President's visit to the U.S.
He said the Former President has been invited by the
Bethune-Du-Bois Institute to receive as award in recognition of his spectacular
record of public services to Africa and particularly Ghana.
Prof. Danso said previous winners of the award include Mrs
Coretta-Scot King, Ambassador Andrew Young, Dr. Maya Angelou, the late Rev.
Leon H. Sullivan, Chief Moshood Abiola and the CNN Chairman, Ted Turner.
Former President Rawlings would leave the US for Japan on
Thursday, May 10 to participate in the plenary session of the Inter-Action
Council of former world leaders.
The Council meets every year to consider topics of significance
to the world community.
Former President Rawlings is expected to travel later on to
Brussels, Belgium where he would make a statement at the conference of least
developed countries.
He would also attend a session on "Enhancing Productive
Capacity - The Role of Health," which would focus on the impact of malaria
and HIV/AIDS, on the productive human resources of developing countries.
Former President Rawlings was seen off by Japan's Ambassador to
Ghana, Mr Hiromu Nitta.
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Protective Bodyguards for VIPs
complete training
Accra (Greater Accra), 09 May 2001,
President John Agyekum Kufuor on Tuesday witnessed the passing
out parade of the first batch of Protective Bodyguards for VIPs at the police
firing range in Accra.
The six-week intensive course for 25 security personnel and 15
civilians was a collaborative effort between the National Security Council and
Nigeria.
The grandaunts were taken through several protective courses,
including leadership training and intensive physical exercises to strengthen
them for their duties of protecting the President, Vice and other VIPs.
A statement issued in Accra and signed by Government
Spokesperson Miss Elizabeth Ohene said President Kufuor expressed gratitude to
the Nigerian government and lauded the co-operative spirit between the Ghanaian
instructors and their Nigerian counterparts.
He congratulated the grandaunts and advised them to be guided at
all time by the training they have received and to discharge their duties with
high sense of discipline
The President described the work of personnel protection as
self-sacrifice and urged them to be motivated in the discharge of their duties
by the personification of national interest in the personalities they guard.
He commended them for an inspiring demonstration of their
preparedness to discharge their duties and urged them to exhibit courage,
commitment and loyalty to the state by distinguishing themselves whenever and
wherever they find themselves.
General Joshua Hamidu (Rtd), National Security Adviser, said the
course was the outcome of an agreement between President Olusegun Obasanjo and
President Kufuor.
Prizes were awarded to deserving grandaunts.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2001
The First Lady, Mrs. Theresa Kufuor returned home on Tuesday
from Bamako, Mali, after attending the vision 2010 forum on reduction of
maternal and neo-natal mortality.
The two -day forum attracted many delegates including six other
first ladies from Nigeria, Guinea, Senegal, Benin, Gabon and host Mali as well
as Non Governmental Organisations.
Speaking to newsmen at the Kotoka International Airport, Mrs.
Kufuor said the forum agreed that urgent measures and programmes adopted to
prevent maternal neo-natal deaths.
She said maternal mortality rate in Ghana remains high with
national estimates ranging from 210 to 470 deaths per every 100,000 live birth.
She expressed her willingness to lead the fight to curb these
deaths by teaming up with committed agencies and groups championing the same
cause.
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Ghana, US in another joint
military cooperation
Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2001,
Ghana and the United States are to co-operate in another joint
military exercise, code named Operation Focus Relief.
Operation Focus Relief, designed to prepare some 800-man unit
for operations in United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), as an additional
battalion with immense US support, will commerce at the Bundase Training Camp
on May 15 for 10 weeks.
Ghanaian and American forces are involved in a Joint Combined
Exchange Training (JCET) at the Jungle Warfare School at Achiase and a Disaster
Management Seminar in Accra.
A statement issued in Accra on Tuesday said Nigeria and Senegal
have already participated in similar exercises sponsored by the US.
It said the operation represents the US' ongoing commitment on
positive engagement with militaries of Africa and US security and stability on
the continent.
The operation is also to assist the nations of West Africa to
enhance their capability to provide security to residents of their countries
and to the region as a whole.
The statement said an advance US party has already arrived in
the country with the bulk of their equipment, and are seriously preparing the
base camp for the exercise.
The equipment brought in include communication gear, medical
supplies, soldiers' personal gear, machine guns, mortars, training ammunition
and tactical wheel vehicles.
Approximately, 100 US soldiers with experience in Africa will
participate in the exercise, the statement added.
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Aflao Council of Chiefs unhappy
about diversion road
Aflao (Volta Region) 09 May 2001
The Aflao Traditional Council has expressed its displeasure at
what it said was the realignment of the proposed West African Highway through
Dzodze instead of Aflao and the alleged general lukewarm attitude of government
towards the development of the area.
The Council at an emergency meeting at Aflao at the weekend,
said it has information that a postal service complex earmarked for Aflao was
also being shelved in favour of another one at Cape Coast and called for the
commencement of the Aflao project.
Togbe Amenya Fiti V, Paramount Chief of Aflao, who called the
meeting to register the Council's protest, said the diversion of the highway
would amount to a breach of faith on the part of the government.
The Council further contended that in spite of the large revenue
generated from the area for Central Government, Aflao's development is a pale
shadow of what pertains in similar revenue generating areas such as Accra,
Kumasi and Tema.
The Council called on the government to complete as a matter of
urgency the Aflao Border Complex for which it said several residential
structures were pulled down in 1972, alleging that no compensation was paid to
those affected.
The Council said the people would press for compensation if the
project is left in its present state.
Other projects, which the Council said required urgent
government attention were the new circuit court building, Aflao township roads
and Aflao State College.
The Council which built the school with assistance from the Ketu
District Assembly, has since 1998 been paying the salaries of the 12 teachers
at the college.
The Council pledged its support for the new District Chief
Executive, Mr Linus Coffie, who was introduced to the Council.
Also at the meeting was the Muslim Council of Elders led by
Sariki Sumaila Samma.
Meanwhile the Council has annulled the allocation of 33 hectares
in Avoeme to the Muslim Community for a permanent settlement. No reason was
given.
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Edina kingmakers warn of
trouble if Omanhene presides over 'Bakatue'
Cape Coast (Central Region) 09 May 2001
Seven kingmakers from the 10 'Asafo' Companies ('Akyekuwdu'), in
the Edina Traditional Area, opposed to the Omanhene, Nana Kodwo Conduah VI,
have warned of possible chaos if he presides over the celebration of this
year's 'Bakatue' festival.
The festival, is scheduled to begin on Tuesday July 3.
A release signed by the King-Makers including Dr J. A. Mark and
Supi H. Mac Vroom of the Number 1 and Number 10 'Asafo' companies respectively,
claimed that tension has already began mounting in the Elmina township since
April 24, when the Omanhene at an emergency of the Traditional Council
announced plans to celebrate the festival this year.
The release said the festival could not be celebrated last year,
because of the desire of the Omanhene whom it described as "illegitimate
and self-styled," to sit in state to preside over festivities.
"Indeed if the festival had been held with the illegal
Omanhene at the centre of events, his presence alone in the thick of affairs
would have provoked tension and possibly resulted in chaos and mayhem", it
alleged.
It noted the need to forestall any chaos or mayhem this year and
recommended that the 'Adontenhene of the area should rather preside over the
festival in collaboration with the chief fisherman and the 'Benya Komfo' as was
done in 1998 and urged the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) and the
Ministry of Tourism to "caution the Omanhene to wash his hands off the
festival".
The King Makers said Nana Conduah has various suits pending,
challenging his installation at the Regional House of Chiefs, Cape Coast High
Court and the Supreme Court and accused the House of Chiefs of allowing itself
to be used into "gazetting unqualified chiefs".
They, therefore, expressed the hope that their recommendations
would be seriously considered to enable the occasion to "pass without
regrets".
When the GNA called Nana Conduah on telephone he said that there
was no tension in the town and said the festival would be celebrated as planned.
Sources at the Elmina Police station also denied that tension
was mounting in the township.
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Theft of ECG meters on the
increase in the Ketu District
Aflao (Volta Region), 09 May 2001,
Over 200 pieces of electricity meters belonging to the
Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) were stolen within the last one year in the
Ketu District of the Volta Region.
The stolen meters were believed to have been smuggled into the
Republic of Togo.
Mr Joe Dadoza, Ketu District Manager of the ECG, who disclosed
this to the Ghana News Agency at Aflao said the thefts have become phenomenal
in all the border districts.
He said ECG officials held a meeting Togolese security personnel
in Lome last year on the meter thefts but it did not yield any positive
results.
Mr Dadoza said the ECG collected over one million cedis as
penalties last year from customers in the district, who tampered with their
meters or made electrical connections, which did not pass through their meters.
Meanwhile the Custom, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS)
officers have arrested a 34- year old painter, Godwin Lawson while attempting
to cross into Togo with two ECG meters.
An Aflao Police source told the GNA that the CEPS personnel, who
were on duty at pillar 12 at Akpokploe close to the border on May 2 saw Lawson
carrying a bag and moving towards the border at 12 noon and they invited him
for inspection.
The source said two ECG meters with numbers 9010082 and 2501248
together with a ply, a screwdriver, a pinch bar and two small torches were
found in the bag.
The CEPS personnel then handed Lawson over to the Aflao Police.
Lawson, who told the Police that he was on his farm at
Kpakokope, near the border, when one Tata brought the items to him could
neither locate the path to his farm nor Tata's house when the Police at his own
request went along with him to verify his claims.
In December last year the Aflao Circuit Court sentenced 18-year
old Samuel Nyanku to five years' imprisonment with hard labour for attempting
to smuggle two ECG meters to Togo.
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Stop abusing the ethics of
journalism- Kojo Yankah
Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2001
Mr Kojo Yankah, President of the Africa Institute of Journalism
and Communications (AIJC) on Tuesday said the Ghanaian media has over the years
abused "the canons of journalism" by not adhering to the ethics of
the profession.
Addressing journalists at a four-day seminar on environmental
reporting in Accra, he said the abuses exist in both the print and electronic
media due to what most media houses call their ' house style '.
" We should not continue to preach house styles without
thinking about the ethics", he said, adding, " as media
practitioners, we need to be teaching the modern elements of the profession to
be abreast with trends all over the world."
Mr Yankah, a former politician and communication expert said
most of the people who are supposed to teach the ethics of the profession lack
the requisite skills to do so.
The AIJC opened this year to help improve journalism in the
country and help expose practitioners to the modern elements of reporting.
Mr Yankah said workshops, conferences and other educational
programmes will be organised by his outfit periodically to expose practitioners
to modern trends of reporting and improve their skills of writing.
Ms Julie Titone an environmental journalist with the Washington-
based Spokesman-review, expressed the hope that practising journalists in the
country would occasionally take time off their busy schedules to upgrade
themselves.
She called on media practitioners to work together to help make
the Ghanaian Media "what they want it to be."
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Accra (Greater Accra), 09 May 2001,
Mr. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural
Development on Tuesday announced that plans were far advanced to source funds
to dredge the Chemu lagoon, which divides Chorkor and Shaibu electoral areas in
the Ablekuma south Constituency.
He said the lagoon would be de-silted to allow free flow of the
river, which has become potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
A statement issued in Accra said the Minister made the
announcement when he and Sheikh I.C. Quaye, Greater Accra Regional Minister
toured parts of Accra earmarked for urban upgrading to assess the drainage
systems before onset of the rains.
The tour took the ministers to Chorkor, Shaibu, Agege, Mamponse,
Zongo Junction, Russia, Sukura and Alajo.
Mr Baah-Wiredu stressed the need to properly identify
organisations responsible for maintenance of drains in Accra to avoid
duplication and waste of resources.
He also suggested the formation of an inter-ministerial
co-ordinating meeting so that the ministry of Works and Housing can cede its
Hydro Division to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).
The Regional minister called for more tertiary drains to link up
primary and secondary ones to check the incidence of flooding in the city.
He said the bridge linking Alajo and Kotobabi needs to be
reconstructed to allow free flow of water.
The Ministers asked the Hydro Division to work on the sewerage
system at Mamponse-Dansoman to check the outbreak of epidemic.
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Check abuses in collection of
market tolls - New MCE told
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 09 May 2001
Mr Appiah Agyei-Mensah, Executive Member of the Kumasi Central
Market branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on Mr Maxwell Kofi
Jumah, the new Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive to check the abuse in the
collection of market tolls.
He said some of the market toll collectors engage in shady deals
and other malpractice thus denying the KMA millions of cedes, which could have
assisted it in carrying out its development and sanitation programmes.
Mr Agyei-Mensah also known as "Shawcross" told the GNA
in Kumasi, that most revenue collectors have fraternised with the traders and
have adopted various means of issuing out half tickets or none at all in
anticipation of collecting something later.
He said to stop the loss of revenue to the KMA, the new MCE
should ensure that revenue collectors, some of whom have stayed for long
periods at the Kumasi Central Market, are transferred.
He said the collectors have turned the Central Market into a
goldmine and this should be stopped at once.
Mr Agyei-Mensah said the Council of Indigenous Business
Association (CIBA) charged with collecting the tolls during the tenure of
office of the former MCE, Nana Akwasi Agyeman should also be made to account
for the monies collected.
Another area the new MCE should look at is the allocation of
stores and stalls at the market.
He said traders sometimes sell, sublet or lease out the stores
or stalls to others at between 10 million cedis and 40 million cedis without
the consent of the KMA.
There are instances where traders bequeath the stalls to their
offspring or relations, adding, that all these illegal transactions take place
without due regard to the regulation
and process of allocation of stalls by the KMA.
Mr Agyei-Mensah advised Mr Jumah to tackle the sanitation
problems of the city and place it on its priority agenda saying "the
Central Market branch of the NPP wholeheartedly supports you in the task of
restructuring Kumasi to regain its status as the 'Garden City' of West
Africa".
"The Central Market branch of the NPP welcomes you to the
new position as MCE", he added.
In another development, Mr Muniru Arafat Nuhu, the President's
nominee for the position of Cape Coast Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) on Tuesday
failed to poll the mandatory two-thirds of the votes cast to confirm his
position.
Mr Nuhu, a 49-year old Economics Tutor at the Adisadel College,
polled 31 of the 56 votes cast by members of the Municipal Assembly at an
emergency meeting convened for the balloting.
Mr Mark Anyimadu, Central Regional Director of the Electoral
Commission (EC), however said another round of balloting would be conducted
within 10 days.
After the balloting, Mr Nuhu told newsmen that he was
"quite disappointed at the turn out, but said he was confident that he
would get approval during the next round.
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President to review appointment
of Wa DCE
Accra (Greater Accra) 09 May 2001
President John Agyekum Kufuor is reviewing the nomination of Mr
Godfrey Banyon Tangu as Wa District Chief Executive following protests by some
NPP youth in the area against it.
The Youth demonstrated in favour of Mr Yakubu Adams who was
originally
nominated but was later withdrawn.
Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Local Government and Rural
Development told the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Tuesday that there will be a
meeting with the regional minister, opinion leaders and leaders of the youth
wing of the party in the area to find solution to the misunderstanding.
He said the government would listen to all sides and do
everything possible to bring peace required for the development of the area.
''We are open to all
shades of opinion," he said and cautioned the youth against the use of
violence in seeking redress to their grievances. Mr Baah-Wiredu said the action by the youth is at variance with
the NPP policy of operating transparently and encouraging dialogue.
A section of the youth wing of the party demonstrated on
Saturday and Monday to demand the reinstatement of Mr Yakubu Adams as the
President's nominee for the position of District Chief Executive.
Chanting, "No Yakubu, no Regional Minister!" the
demonstrators defied Police orders and attempted to march to the Regional
Co-ordinating Council (RCC).
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